Chapter 60: The Shocking Question – “Xie Qinghe, what are you afraid of?”...
The man Qinghuai found was the gatekeeper of the inn, whose ancestors had been from Changzhou for generations. After hearing Ning Lu's brief description, he immediately determined that it was a mass grave in the direction of Pingcheng.
More than ten years ago, Changzhou suffered a snow disaster, and the ground was littered with corpses of the starving. The then governor of Changzhou dragged those people to the outskirts of the city.
Everyone said that the place was filled with resentment, so over time no one went there anymore. Later, the bodies of those who had nowhere to be buried and whose families could not be found were all buried there, which is why it looks like it is today.
Is it far from here?
Ning Lu glanced outside; dusk was approaching, and she hesitated, wondering whether to wait until tomorrow.
"It's not far, less than half an hour from outside the city."
Guo Chi went into the main room and didn't come out for the entire afternoon.
Though she didn't say it aloud, Ning Lu could sense that Xie Qinghe was still trying his best to keep her under his watchful eye.
Thinking of his half-dead appearance in the car, my heart clenched.
After all, it's just a dream, and whether it's real or not is still unknown. If it's fake, then we'll inevitably have made a wasted trip.
If he insists on following in that cold and damp place, and something goes wrong, it's no laughing matter.
Now is the best time.
Having convinced Qinghuai and Qingzhi to cover for her for the time being, Ninglu led a horse out of the stable and galloped in the direction the gatekeeper had indicated.
Once outside the city gate, a narrow path stretched out before her. If the gatekeeper wasn't mistaken, she would arrive in less than a quarter of an hour.
That's a mass grave...
The horse beneath her paced restlessly, which inexplicably filled Ning Lu with fear, and she subconsciously touched the long whip wrapped around her waist.
Looking around, I couldn't help but raise my voice to bolster my courage: "Hey! Are you there?"
She knew they were there.
The shadow guards Xie Qinghe had arranged were always by her side, almost never leaving her. She was well aware of this, but she pretended to ignore it, which could be considered a tacit understanding that she had developed with him over the years.
"Stop hiding, show yourself and come with me."
Ning Lu refused to admit that she was afraid. She pouted, drew her long whip from her waist, and threw it into the bushes beside her.
Sure enough, the leader of the shadow guards who had taught her martial arts leaped from the bushes, caught her whip, and presented it to her with both hands.
Her gaze swept over again, and another shadow guard emerged from behind her, kneeling on the ground awaiting her orders.
Only two people?
It was different from the aura she had sensed before.
Ning Lu held her breath and listened intently, but she couldn't hear where anyone else was.
Two is fine, plus her, there are three of us, that should be enough.
With others by her side, she felt no fear and continued along the narrow path without looking back.
Before long, the scene from my dream suddenly reappeared.
The mounds of earth were uneven, and scattered with jagged white bones, a shocking sight.
The courage she had gained from having the shadow guards with her suddenly vanished, and the cold sweat on her back, which hadn't completely dried, soaked her clothes again. She took a half step back, then forced herself to stay still.
The image of Xie Qinghe painstakingly reviewing memorials with a pale face and discussing matters with court officials flashed through his mind.
If she could find direct evidence of Prince Jing's treason, that guy might not have to work himself to death every day, still having to plan and scheme.
She cannot escape.
Having mentally reassured himself of the profound truth, he reached for his chest and pulled out the dagger that Xie Qinghe had returned to him a few days earlier.
Ning Lu didn't even marvel at her own righteous indignation before she began to recall the location in her dream, trying to find the grave of Liu Yunying's mother. However, the place was a circle, and no matter how she adjusted her position, it still seemed similar.
With no other choice, she told the two shadow guards all the relevant clues in her mind, and the three of them searched around back to back.
The two men were bold and reckless, possessing great strength. Seeing anything resembling a grave, they dug it up with all their might. Ning Lu felt uneasy, looking here and there, bowing and apologizing while simultaneously disturbing the spirits of the dead.
It was still evening when I went out, but after searching through the dust for a long time, the moonlight was already high in the sky.
At first, I felt uneasy, but the longer I worked, the more I realized how high the sunk costs were, and that I couldn't give up. So I became more and more skilled at it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small, sparsely burial mound near the cliff. The soil there was newer than the other two mounds around it, and it even had sprouting new shoots.
The pebbles placed on top also looked familiar to Ning Lu.
A familiar sadness welled up in Ning Lu's heart. She put down her work, ran over there, and knelt on the ground.
He immediately turned his head and entered the scene of his dream.
Behind me were a few bushes, and pebbles blocked most of my view...
This is it!
Ning Lu didn't ask for help. She deftly used both hands to clear away the fresh soil on one side of the mound and continued downwards.
As the soil layer deepened, no jade was found.
Is this not it either?
She was filled with anxiety, but dared not stop what she was doing.
I don't recall seeing one that clearly; I'm afraid she's made a mistake again.
Ning Lu straightened up, clapped her hands, and was about to give up when she caught a glimpse of a loose thread out of the corner of her eye.
It's a grain of rice!
Found it?
Her tired and disappointed eyes suddenly widened. She gasped, bent over, and almost buried herself in the pit, continuing to dig downwards.
Found it!
That's it!
The cool moonlight shone into the valley, making the white jade stand out against the yellow earth.
Ning Lu immediately picked it up and checked it repeatedly. It was correct, absolutely correct.
The identical dragon pattern, the jade is clear and translucent, and its chilling aura blends perfectly with the moonlight.
Although she had only met the fake jade once, she was able to quickly distinguish which one was real and which one was fake.
Miao Bo's imitation of the pattern was almost 100% similar, but the jade used by the royal family was indeed a rare treasure.
Overjoyed at this partial victory, she had no time to admire it repeatedly and hurriedly called on the shadow guards who were still searching diligently to fill in the pits and prepare to return to the city.
Once she returns the jade to Xie Qinghe, the evidence will be conclusive, and he won't need to go through so much trouble fighting with Prince Jing.
At that time, whether she is Liu Yunying or Ning Lu, this will be considered a favor. It should be easier for her to negotiate with Yu Lanzhou if she wants him.
Ning Lu personally filled in the pit on one side of Liu Yunying's mother's grave. After hesitating for a moment, she knelt down and kowtowed three times, just like in her dream.
Liu Yunying's determination and despair were vivid in her mind, and even her ruthless spirit of living towards death made Ning Lu feel close to her.
She buried the jade hoping for nothing more than a glimmer of hope and to stir up trouble, and now it seems that it has been somewhat satisfactory.
After all, Xie Qinghe didn't die, and Pan Xingxue was imprisoned, making Prince Jing's intentions obvious.
As for Liu Yunying, Ning Lu looked at her hands. Although she was unwilling to live in the world as Liu Yunying, there was no doubt that this body belonging to the original owner had survived.
His gaze shifted, returning to the graves.
"I am truly sorry for bothering you so many times."
Ning Lu pressed the stone back onto the grave mound, brushed away the weeds on both sides, and murmured, "If possible, please bless us so that our wishes may be fulfilled."
Upon hearing this, Ning Lu suddenly felt confused again. Before she transmigrated, her wish was to find a decent job and live a respectable life in a big city; after arriving here, her wish has always been to embark on her journey home.
Before Liu Yunying transmigrated, she struggled to survive in order to save money to redeem Lan Zhou from her servitude, and the two were separated by vast distances.
If it really was a soul swap, what was she thinking in her body? Was she also searching for a way back?
The deathly silence of the valley was broken by the chaotic sound of horses' hooves. Ning Lu suddenly became alert, leaped up to take the reins of her horse, and looked back warily.
The two shadow guards also instantly concealed themselves to investigate who was approaching.
The opposing force came on strong, with the leader leading the pack and far ahead of the pack.
There seemed to be a murderous aura about it.
The time Miao Bo left, Zhao Yue sent people to chase after her.
Surely it's not that Prince Jing's men have gotten a clue about the jade pendant and are coming to steal it from her now?
Ning Lu flicked her fingertips, gripped the dagger in her backhand, and retreated while on guard.
"Ning Lu!"
With a neigh, the horse's hooves kicked up, and the man sat high on his horse, looking at the rider with cold eyes.
The cold moonlight shone down, and the other person was completely surrounded by darkness.
She couldn't see the other person's face clearly, but she was extremely familiar with their voice and figure. After a moment's thought, she guessed who it was, and her voice was filled with excitement.
"Thank you, Qinghe!"
Without a second thought, she immediately dismounted and galloped toward the other man.
"Guess what I found! You'll have to thank me properly this time!"
"You have no idea, I..."
Earlier than the joy she had anticipated was a sudden, brute force that seemed to weld itself onto her arms.
Xie Qinghe's breathing became rapid, his chest heaving, and his narrow phoenix eyes revealed a fierceness and crimson glint that was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
"Xie Qinghe?"
Ning Lu looked up at him in confusion as the skin on her upper arm was pinched painfully, her joy suppressed in her voice.
The man almost fell off his horse, staggered forward, and subdued her.
The sounds of disordered breathing rose and fell in the valley.
Xie Qinghe's hands were like icy iron, tightly binding her left and right, making it impossible for her to move.
"I... found the jade pendant."
Ning Lu didn't know where his impatience and panic came from, but she sensed that something was wrong. She lowered her voice, twisted her body, and took out the jade from her bosom in an odd posture, presenting it to him like a treasure.
"Wouldn't it be easier to judge cases with this?"
Xie Qinghe acted as if he hadn't heard, and didn't even glance at the jade pendant.
A pair of bloodshot eyes stared intently at her face the entire time.
"Thank you, sir."
Feeling intimidated by his gaze, Ning Lu had no choice but to soften her tone and ask, "What's wrong with you?"
He remained silent, looking her up and down, checking her for safety.
“It was wrong of me to leave without permission and not go on duty, but I suddenly obtained a clue about this jade, and I can’t miss this opportunity…”
"Since you found the jade pendant so quickly, do you want me to reward you handsomely?"
The second half of her sentence was swallowed up by Xie Qinghe's cold voice, and Ning Lu lowered her eyes and brows.
Logically speaking, yes.
But if he didn't want to, there was nothing she could do.
"For the sake of a jade pendant, you disguised yourself at night, abandoned your post, and completely disregarded what I said!"
"Are you in such a hurry to find it so you can sever ties with me and go home as soon as possible, or are you going to elope with that Yu Lanzhou?"
Questions came one after another.
Xie Qinghe was in a fit of rage, speaking rapidly and in a cold, sharp voice; even his imposing presence was greater than usual.
Ning Lu was stunned by his question, as if she was about to be sentenced to a dungeon and never be able to escape.
Startled and unsure how to respond, the hand that was clutching the jade pendant slowly fell to its side.
Instead of the gentle and happy smile she expected after a hard night's work, she received a scolding, and she felt wronged.
I simply kept silent, intertwining my fingertips and placing them close to my body.
She lowered her head and remained silent, her hair fluttering in the wind, revealing a stubborn streak.
Xie Qinghe realized his mistake, closed his eyes tightly, and when he looked at her again, he had already composed himself.
As the wind rustled the trees, Ning Lu twisted her body almost defiantly, struggling slightly: "You're hurting me."
It was just a tentative touch, but the hand that was on her shoulder suddenly felt like it had been burned, and she abruptly withdrew her grip.
The fingers that were gripping her shoulders moved down her arm, slowly sliding down to her wrist, where they held her tightly through the fabric.
Ning Lu's gaze followed his fingertips, which were red from the wind, before returning to Xie Qinghe.
He, who always wore a cloak and cape, was now only wearing a robe.
The figure, as graceful as a gentle breeze and a bright moon, had disheveled hair, trembled slightly, and seemed uneasy.
He scolded her for no reason, and now he's the one who's been wronged and frightened.
The jade stone poked painfully into his palm. Seeing him like this, Ning Lu's anger subsided considerably, but she felt that his temper was becoming increasingly strange.
"You've been busy, and I've had nothing to do. Wouldn't it be more efficient to split up?"
"It's just a jade pendant. You clearly need it more. It would be my fault to find it for you. If you don't want it, then don't want it."
She pretended to throw it, but Xie Qinghe didn't care at all and didn't stop her at all. He just held her hand and stared blankly.
His hair trembled slightly, his chest rose and fell, and he swallowed all the choking cough that reached his throat.
With his hand hanging in the air, he was caught in an awkward situation, unsure whether to throw it or not.
Ning Lu cleared her throat, wanting to make amends, when she heard him speak in a hoarse voice.
"You're not leaving..."
Where did she go?
She laughed in exasperation, about to make a sarcastic remark, when she saw that his usually calm eyes were now bloodshot and filled with turbulent waves.
"Xie Qinghe, what are you afraid of?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com